The Days of You
by Dashed
Summary: Sakura and Ino through the years of hating each other and absolutely detesting each other. Sakura/Ino. Probably the longest finished single chapter Sakura/Ino fic on the net.


Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Would have much more (porn) Sakura/Ino interaction if I did.

A/N: Yes this is a long fic, yes I could have broken it up into chapters and got more reviews and such, but I like to read long fics so this is for others that like to read long fics too. Pay attention to the ages since this jumps back and forth between the past and present, I don't think its that confusing and I'm sure you guys are smart enough to keep up.

Enjoy, oh and there's a few sex scenes.

XxXx

Ino and Sakura aged 26

Sakura shoved Ino roughly against the lockers. They were in the changing room at the hospital both in grubby green scrubs. Sakura kissed Ino like she was attacking her. Ino bit back just as fiercely as she wrapped her legs around Sakura's waist. Sakura was forced to hold the blondes weight but she was busy tearing off Ino's scrubs. The neck of the clothes ripped and she pawed Ino's breasts roughly.

Ino moaned at the abuse and dug her finger nails into Sakura's head. Her nipple was pinched in punishment but she grinded against Sakura's stomach determined to get off. God they hated each other. Sakura thrust her hand down Ino's scrub bottoms and didn't even bother with foreplay as she shoved her fingers in. She wanted Ino's cunt, it was just unfortunate that it had to come attached to such a bitch.

Ino buried Sakura's face in her chest so she didn't have to look at her. She closed her eyes tightly and humped Sakura's hand biting her lip and thinking of anyone other than Sakura doing this to her. Karuni, Anko, Shizune, Tsunade-saamaaa…!

She came and her body sagged limply against the lockers. Her lovely floating haze was interrupted as Sakura freed herself from her cleavage cage demanding arrogantly to breath. They glared at each other for a moment before Ino's eyes tracked to the door. She had got what she wanted…

"Don't you dare," Sakura growled knowing what Ino was planning. She gripped the blonde's wrist painfully and shoved it down her own bottoms threateningly.

Ino scowled but found the heat and wetness irresistible. She shoved Sakura back onto the bench disgusted at herself for being so desperate. She yanked down Sakura's scrub bottoms leaving them trapped at her ankles before she made Sakura spread her legs obscenely wide. Sakura cried out both in embarrassment and pleasure as Ino fucked her. Her head rolled from side to side and she bit her first curled finger as the blush spread below the collar of her top.

Ino ate the sight with greedy eyes. Sakura was a gorgeous woman and if she didn't have the annoying personality they could have been quite happy together. Ino moved to lie over her so that she could suffocate on Sakura's scent and she just knew her being on top would piss the other girl off. Her fingers never stopped making the squelching sound as they fucked Sakura. She curled her fingers up and her thumb covered and squashed Sakura's clit brutally and the pink haired girl came with a girly cry as her breath hitched.

Sakura sagged down against the bench with a delighted sigh. All the bones in her body had melted into a molten puddle of relaxation. She stretched like a lounging cat before eyeing Ino distastefully "why are you still here? Your shift started ten minutes ago."

"Bitch," Ino said cuttingly storming off to wash her face before she had to report to Shizune.

XxXx

It was snowing heavily and Sakura hitched the collar of her coat up to try and cover her neck. She rubbed her hands together furiously trying to encourage some feeling back into them. Eventually Ino stumbled out of the hospital wearily. Sakura wordlessly held out the other woman's heavy winter coat. Ino glared at her and defiantly stood shivering in her light autumn jacket.

"I said I didn't need it," she snapped.

"Just take the jacket and admit you were wrong," Sakura snapped back. She had told Ino to take her heavy coat this morning as it would snow but did the blonde listen to her? No, of course not.

"I'm not cold!" Ino stalked off nearly blue in the face of the early winter wind.

"Fine, show up to the party looking like a smurf," Sakura yelled then stalked after her. She threw Ino's coat around her own shoulders to keep her extra warm. Ino glance balefully at her from the corner of her eyes once before ignoring her existence completely.

Naruto's flat was nearly throbbing with the pumping music. Different coloured lights burst out of the frosted windows accompanying the pulsing music as excited voices screamed to be heard. Sakura was the one who knocked on the door as Ino was shivering too badly to do anything but hug herself tightly. Naruto opened the door and smiled widely upon seeing them. "Sakura! Ino! Sakno!" he cheered then frowned as he saw Ino "Ino why are you so cold, where's your coat?"

"She gave it to me because I was cold," Sakura smiled sweetly.

Ino nearly growled as Naruto squealed and threw his arms around her "ha! Ino you're so cute together!"

Sakura made some tea in the crowded kitchen. She was given a few odd looks but ignored them. She dodged around the dancing bodies until she got to Ino defrosting in the corner. She shoved the tea into Ino's numb hands and tossed her coat around her shoulders ignoring the protest. Ino continued to grumble as she drank the wonderfully hot beverage but didn't remove the coat. They spent the rest of the night ignoring each other.

XxXx

Ino laughed until she was in tears as Sakura glared at her fuzzily. Sakura having had more than she should to drink was wholly dependant on Ino to get her home. Ino however didn't take her job that seriously and was not helping the perception challenged Sakura navigate the icy streets. It didn't help that there seemed to be entire dark patches of street where no light shone.

Sakura staggered up right by some miracle and crawled forward using the sides of buildings as a guide. When she fell flat on her back a second time an alarming crack was heard. Ino stopped laughing at once and was immediately by Sakura's side. Sakura grimaced in pain as she tried to roll to her feet. She stopped as she clutched the small of her back and tried not to cry out.

Guilt stole over Ino and she lifted Sakura into her arms. Sakura glared fuzzily at her and tried to tell her that her help wasn't wanted but only managed a slurring hiss. Ino rolled her eyes understanding her anyway but ignoring her.

When she reached their apartment over the flower shop she sat Sakura on the bed and stripped her. Ino grabbed a towel and began to gently dry Sakura who was wet from falling repeatedly in the snow. Sakura weaved unsteadily on the spot fighting the urge to sink into the blankets. Ino dressed her in the thick pajamas that Sakura loved but she hated. They were hard to get off. She tipped Sakura slowly back and put the covers over her. Sakura's little feet were a pale pink from the cold and Ino fished around in her drawer until she found a pair of bed socks. She put them on the already sleeping girl making sure to tuck the legs of the pajama bottoms into the socks. She then went to bed herself.

XxXx

Ino and Sakura aged 20

"Naruto I have something important to tell you," Sakura took a deep breath "I'm gay."

Naruto blinked as his friend deflated. He frowned and stared down at the bowl of ramen that Sakura had just bought him. So that was why she was being so nice. "Are you sure?"

She nodded waiting for his reaction. Naruto looked up sadly "I'm sorry," she said "I can't help it. Please don't hate me," she begged.

"I could never hate Sakura," Naruto said "but I'm said for you. You're going to be all alone. There's no other lesbian in the village and I don't want Sakura to move away."

"I'm not going to move away," Sakura said relieved Naruto wasn't rejecting her. "I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I've just got comfortable with myself. I'm happy being alone Naruto."

Naruto didn't look convinced at her smile. He vowed to help his friend.

XxXx

Naruto slapped the paste on the wall quickly and slammed his poster up before moving on a few feet. His days of trouble making made him quite fast at sticking up graffiti. Tsunade watched the blonde whirlwind throw poster after poster onto the wall. He was making his way towards her and so intent on his job he didn't notice as she stuck her foot out and tripped him.

"Ah!" Naruto fell flat on his face and his posters flew everywhere.

Tsuande reached out and snatched a flying bill ready to be annoyed at Naruto's mischief when she actually read the thing.

_Woman seeking another Woman to __have sex, make love,__ date._

_Is a cute doctor or nearly a doctor, with nice ass._

_If Interested please contact Naruto._

Above the poster was a picture of a headless Sakura. The image was obviously Sakura since she was dressed in scrubs and parts of her pink hair fell on her shoulders. Tsunade glanced down at Naruto who was furiously scrambling to pick up the posters. Did she actually want to know what the little weirdo was up to now? She debated.

"Give me the poster back granny!" Naruto trying to snatched the poster out of her hands.

She held it out of reach and glared down at Naruto "what the hell are you doing?!"

"Nothing!" Naruto said petulantly still trying to make a grab for the paper.

"If Sakura finds out about this she'll kill you," Tsunade said keeping the paper out of his reach.

Naruto froze "how do you know it's Sakura?! I mean it's not Sakura!"

"Her hospital pass is on her shirt you idiot," Tsunade pointed to it on her poster.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror "oh no…"

"What have you done?" Tsunade said shaking her head.

Naruto chewing on his lip before he finally decided to come clean "well Sakura told me she was gay but there's no other gays in the village that we know of, so I was going to put up the posters and see if she can get a girlfriend. I don't want her to be lonely…"

Tsunade had to smile. Naruto had a good heart, a thick head, but a good heart "why did you cut off her head in the photo then?"

"Well I wasn't sure if she was out to everyone yet," Naruto explained with a shrug.

Tsunade thought it over before nodding decisively "I'm going to help you! Together we'll get Sakura a date!"

"Thank you granny!" Naruto said smiling widely then winced as Tsunade clipped his ear for calling her granny.

"You better take down those posters before she sees them though," Tsunade said.

"NARUTO!"

"Oh," Tsunade winced "too late."

Naruto went white before he took off in a frantic run.

XxXx

"So, Hinata," Tsunade said looking through the shy young woman's medical chart. "Have you ever thought about kissing girls?"

"W-what?" Hinate blinked in shock.

"Have you ever seen another girls boobs and thought they were ice cream mountains that you want to lick?" Tsunade said putting the chart down and pinning the girl with her steady stare.

"Ah…" Hinata had no idea what was going on and looked around furiously "I just came in to get a check up."

"We're doing a check up on your sexual preferences," Tsunade said flippantly "so have you ever thought about tipping the velvet?"

"Wa…?" A deep blush flushed Hinata's cheeks and she looked around for escape. "I don't even know what that means…"

"Tipped the velvet, munched some carpet, become a vegetarian," Tsunade threw out all the euphemisms she knew "have you ever had the urge to go south? Have a bush party? Eat a cu-"

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura yelled horrified as she entered the room to find Tsunade nearly pinning Hinata to the hospital bed. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, just checking up on the young ninja," Tsunade said straightening her coat.

"Sakura!" Hinata breathed in relief.

"I'll finish Hinata's check up," Sakura said firmly seeing the fear in the other girls eyes.

Tsunade weighted this up and down in her mind before nodding. "Yeah I'll leave you two alone together," she gave Hinata a knowing wink as she pulled the curtains closed.

Sakura looked after her mentor a gashed. "Sorry, she goes a little weird sometimes."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably "I want to leave."

"Okay, I'll just do your check up when you come in next week for your appointment," Sakura said after studying Hinata's chart.

Hinata shook her head furiously "I'm not going to it."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Because it's a gynecology check up," Hinata looked fearfully through the curtain in case SHE was there.

XxXx

Kurenai appeared in the office suddenly and Tsunade looked up from her paper work. Kurenai raised an eyebrow at the Hokage and folded her arms firmly over her chest. "Hinata came to see me. She was very upset…"

Tsunade looked confused for a moment "Hinata, she's the shy pale girl right?"

"Yes, she's the shy pale girl you traumatized at her last check up," Kurenai said.

"Don't be so dramatic, I was trying to find out if she was interested in a little girl on girl action," Tsunade said lightly not fully comprehending her actions. Shizune had taken a holiday and so her voice of reason wasn't nearby to explain the error of her ways to her.

Kurenai felt her face flood in anger "Hokage-sama! How dare you intimidate young women like that! If you're interested in such action, I suggest you find someone not only your own age but your inclination as well!"

"Oh it's not for me," Tsunade said appalled "no way, definitely not my type. It's for Sakura, I'm trying to get her a girlfriend."

"Sakura?" Kurenai said confused but the middle aged woman in her delighted in the gossip "she's gay?"

"Yep," Tsunade nodded.

"Knonohara is such a small place," Kurenai mused "she'll be hard pressed to find a girlfriend here. Although…"

"Although?" Tsunade's eyes lit up at the possibility Kurenai knew something.

"Well, it was said to me in confidence," Kurenai hesitated "but I may know of one other girl with those inclinations."

"Really?!" Tsunade said happily then frowned "she's not fat is she? Or ugly? I mean we want Sakura to get a girlfriend but that doesn't mean she has to settle…"

"No!" Kurenai snapped then realized who she was talking to and quickly got rid of her annoyance "I mean no. Ino's a lovely girl. She's training in your first aid programme at the minute."

Tsunade's eyes lit up with devilish glee. Match making on.

XxXx

"So," Naruto said as he and Sakura ate lunch. "Ino's gay," he blurted out.

Sakura looked startled then an evil grin over came her "that's because no man could put up with her."

Naruto frowned "you don't like Ino?"

"Like Ino?" Sakura said stupidly "Naruto we're talking about the most vainest, self centered, cruel girl in the village. No, I don't like Ino."

"But I thought you guys made up," Naruto said pathetically all chance of Sakura and Ino happily getting together fleeing before his eyes.

"Sure we can be civil to each other but no," Sakura shook her head and chuckled "I'd rather trust a snake than Ino," she then glanced up sharply "why?"

"Nothing," he said weakly.

"You weren't thinking of setting us up were you Naruto?" She demanded "just because I'm gay and Ino is gay doesn't mean we'll like each other."

"But wouldn't she, like, do for practice?" Naruto begged.

"Why are you so keen to get me paired off? It's not like you have a girlfriend…" Sakura trailed off as Naruto shuffled guiltily "WHO?!" She demanded.

"I have to go!" Naruto said quickly and made his escape. Sakura gave chase determinedly.

XxXx

Sakura grumbled as she fiddled with her napkin. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. The restaurant was packed with couples staring deeply into each others eyes. Sakura hated them. She glared at the corner table where Naruto was sitting. He was making sure she didn't run out before Ino got there. Choji suddenly sat down beside him and glared in her direction but not at her.

"Let's just get one thing straight," Ino's voice cut into Sakura "I'm only here because Choji's forcing me too. I don't care if you were the last woman on earth, I still wouldn't voluntarily go out with you!"

"Don't look at me! Naruto's the one forcing me to share the same air as you!" Sakura snapped.

"Good then!" Ino sat down with a flounce and Sakura was surprised she didn't cross her arms and pout. Ino snapped open the menu and glared at it.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the childish behavior. "Let's skip the appetizers," she suggested anxious to get this over with.

"I knew you would be a cheap date," Ino said snidely.

"Do you want this to be dragged out?" Sakura snapped back narrowing her eyes.

"Fine," Ino didn't wave the waiter over she just grabbed an unfortunate one that was passing too close to their table. The man was startled and off balance but Ino didn't care as she fired out her order "I'll have a large salad with no dressing."

"And I'll actually take some real food, a steak with the works and pepper sauce," Sakura said looking forward to the food if not the company.

Ino scrunched up her nose in disgust and eyed Sakura up and down. Feeling the appraisal Sakura steeled herself for some weight comment. Ino's eyes flickered away in annoyance and she muttered something. Sakura felt the vein in her forehead twitch in annoyance. They sat in stony silence contented to ignore each other.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled as the food was brought out and ate ravenously. Mid bite she looked up to see Ino staring at her oddly. "What?" She demanded hoping she didn't have sauce all over her mouth.

"Nothing," Ino coughed and went back to pushing her salad around the plate. Sakura wearily returned to her steak.

"You're done right?" Ino said just as Sakura swallowed her last bite. She nodded and the blonde stood up but Sakura didn't join her. "What are you waiting for? They won't let us leave unless we do it together."

"I'm having desert," Sakura shrugged.

"I thought you said you were done?!" Ino growled.

"I'm done with dinner but this place does the death by chocolate cake," Sakura said and managed to hide her smile as Ino grumbled furiously and slammed herself back down.

When the cake came it was pure decadence. Each chocolate layer was thickly seductive as it lay framed between to hills of smooth vanilla ice cream that lay gently in a puddle of chocolate fudge sauce. Sakura closed her eyes in bliss as she swallowed her first bite. She might have moaned. Her eyes fluttered open to see Ino staring hungrily at the cake. "I won't be able to finished it all," Sakura said extending a spare fork. Ino might be a bitch but she was also a girl and as such could appreciate the beauty of chocolate.

"I shouldn't…" Sakura could hear the weakness in the blondes voice. She shrugged and began to drizzle the sauce over the vanilla in long tempting lines. Ino watched ravenously like a hungry dog before she snatched the fork up. "Just a bite," she lied.

Sakura sat back in contentment as she languorously sucked the last of the sauce from her fingers. Ino also sighed in contentment and they shared a smile before they remember who they were smiling at.

"Let's go!" Ino snapped gaining her composure before Sakura.

"Yeah!" Sakura said just as disturbed.

They hastily made it to the exit and went different way immediately. Halfway down the street Naruto caught up with her.

"See? That wasn't so bad," he said with a smile. She didn't agree.

XxXx

"Are you stalking me?!" Sakura demanded as she left a patients chart up at reception.

Ino glared at her from the hard plastic seat in the waiting room "I couldn't possible be at the hospital for any other reason than to stalk you," she rolled her eyes dismissively making Sakura feel foolish.

"I would suggest an STD test but you're too cold for that," she lashed out defensively.

"Well that's something you won't have to worry about. You wouldn't get near me in a haz maz suit!" Ino snapped.

"Like I would want to!" Sakura spluttered and tried drastically to grope for some sort of slight "are you here because of the chocolate cake? There's no room on the bulimic ward at the moment!" As soon as she said it Sakura wished she could take it back. The regret on her face was immediate.

Ino's eyes narrowed in fury and she tackled Sakura to the ground. They fought like cat and dog rolling all over the ward until a harsh yelled made them both stop suddenly. Shizune glared down at them both with her hands on her hips. Sakura swallowed knowing that she was in trouble.

"I can't believe two grown woman are fighting like children in a hospital!" Shizune cried outraged. "Get up this instant!" They sprang to their feet and tried to get their breathing under control. "Sakura I'm disappointed in you. I'll be talking with Tsunade-sama about this but for now see to your patients."

Sakura slunk away quickly glad that was all she got.

"Shizune-san-" Ino started apologetically.

"Don't," Shizune held up a hand as Sakura stopped out of sight around the corner to listen. "No excuse is good enough Yamanka-san. I need people who work well together, the fact you would get into a fight-I don't care who started it! The fact you would get into a fight the day you're being interviewed for a placement, just shows that you're not the type of person we need. I'm sorry Yamanka-san but I can confidently say that you won't have an internship here."

"I understand," Ino said gravely "I'm sorry."

Ino came around the corner and saw that Sakura heard everything. Her jaw tightened and she pushed past her defiantly. Sakura watched her go feeling two inches tall.

XxXx

"I don't understand," Ino said in confusion staring at the letter in her hands.

"You got the internship," Shizune said.

"But I thought-?" Ino became puzzled.

"Someone put in a good word for you," Shizune shrugged "I'll be watching you closely Yamanka-san. You'll have to work extra hard to fit in here."

"I'll do my best-no, I'll do better!" Ino smiled "thank you!"

Shizune nodded and walked away. Ino turned and caught Sakura staring, she glared smugly at her and Sakura glowered before turning away. Sakura allowed herself a small smile, a month of cleaning the geriatrics was worth it.

XxXx

"This is Anki," Sakura said ruffling the little boys dark hair as she turned to face the interns. They were huddled in a semi circle around the bed looking at her with intense awe and concentration. She was teaching them how to save lives. "He needs a bone marrow transplant as he suffers from acute leukemia. Momo what's the test for diagnosing leukemia?"

The intern jumped and Sakura enjoyed the way he frantically delved into his memory trying to come up with an answer. Rounds was something you were either good or bad at and she could remember her days of them clearly. Tsunade would always put her on the spot and give her the hard questions. It led to her memorising whole chapters of medical text books. It made her a great doctor but a bad socialite.

"Ah, is it a leukemia test?" He volunteered hopefully. She blinked at him in shock before the disgust overwhelmed her "Momo get to the back of the line and out of my sight!" She snapped "Yamanka," she called and Ino looked up from her clipboard.

"A blood sample is taken and if any abnormal cells are detected they're referred to a specialist," Ino replied without much thought. Sakura nodded satisfied "and can anyone tell me the early symptoms in acute leukemia?"

"Oh, I can!" Anki raised a thin arm excitedly and smiled widely.

Sakura smiled indulgently at him and perched on the side of his bed. "Okay kiddies, Anki knows the answer, if you get three symptoms between you, I won't make you install catheters this week," she turned to the boy beside her "how many chances do they get?"

"One!" Anki grinned. It was an unpleasant grin from the interns point of view.

"Oh, vindictive, I like that in a boy," Sakura settled back in the bed fully enjoying the game. "Okay you're time starts now!"

The interns stared at her for a moment and she made a big show of checking her watch. They jumped into action and conferred in a huddle. She felt like a hungry dog in front of a pack of kittens. Eventually Ino was pushed forward. It was obvious they thought she was the bravest of them all.

"Nosebleeds," she said trying to hide her unease.

Anki seemed to consider it before nodding begrudgingly. Ino breathed a sigh of relief.

"Increased bruising…?" She continued cautiously. Anki nodded and narrowed his black eyes. He was waiting for her to slip up. Sakura watched the show down with a smile.

"Ah," Ino seemed to fumble and looked back to the group for support. The other interns made a show of not giving her eye contact. They didn't want to be associated with the wrong answer. "Hea-" When she saw the delight on the child's face she turned her suggestion into a cough. She seemed to be sweating and Sakura couldn't help but enjoy her squirming. A light suddenly swept into Ino's eyes and she stood up straight and confidently said "frequent infections that won't get better!"

"Wrong!" The little boy cried joyfully and the interns groaned. "I don't have any of those!" He smiled widely.

"Oh, tough luck kiddies," Sakura laughed at the child's joy. She turned to him and flashed her eyes in pleasure "so what are you going to do to punish 'em?"

"Make them clean bedpans!" He giggled evilly.

"You are mean!" Sakura laughed and patted him on his bandana covered head again. "You heard the lad minions! For the rest of the day you're scrubbing bedpans and changing catheters!"

"But!" One of the interns tied to protest but went pale when Sakura stared at them.

"Maybe this way you'll actually pick up a text book," Sakura glared "now get out of here!" She snapped and the interns scurried away. "Next time I'll make them bark like dogs," she grinned at her conspirator Anki and he clapped excitedly.

XxXx

"I was right!" Ino said furiously slamming the door to the changing room closed.

Sakura looked up from buttoning up her coat. She was off home but Ino would be here a few more hours she knew. "Huh?"

"I was right. I looked up the symptoms of acute leukemia and I was right!" Ino was puffed up with righteous fury and glaring hatefully at Sakura.

"Yeah you were," Sakura nodded.

Ino was startled at the admission but barreled on "then why did you make us change catheters and clean bedpans!?"

"Did you not hear Anki? He said that that wasn't a symptom that he had suffered. He was grading you on the things he's already been through," Sakura went to walk passed but Ino grabbed her arm and glared at her "but I was right and you knew it, you should have said that it was right!"

Sakura pushed her face close to Ino and despite the slight height difference managed to loom over the blonde. "That little boy has weeks to live if we don't find a donor. Did you want me to tell him that painful, inexplicable wounds, will cut into his little body with no hope of healing, just because you wanted to avoid bad smells? He hasn't suffered that and if we find a donor he may never have to."

Ino deflated and looked away frustrated. Sakura's gaze gentled as she pulled away "the interns will look up the text book and see that I was wrong. They'll have their own little satisfaction in that. You'll all have more experience in putting in catheters and a little boy won't have more nightmares. Not to mention more respect for the nurses that clean those bed pans day and daily."

"The interns might not respect you now that they know that you can be wrong," Ino pointed out looking for some flaw in Sakura's plan.

Sakura laughed tiredly "Ino you're going to be a doctor. Get used to people not respecting your medical knowledge." She left Ino alone to think.

XxXx

"So," Tsunade said pinning pictures of interns on a dart board. "The years nearly up, who is staying and who's going?" She adjusted a crooked picture before stepping back satisfied.

Shizune and Sakura shared long suffering looks. If they left it up to the blonde she would decide the critical matter by throwing darts. "Momo has to go, he set a patient on fire last week," Sakura started flicking through the disaster patients file.

"Didn't he try to x-ray a pregnant woman without a led cover?" Shizune said glancing at the file. Sakura nodded hopelessly.

"He's the brunette with big ears isn't he?" Tsunade said closing one eye and lining the dart up with the picture.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, he really did have big ears.

"Gone!" Tsunade said with satisfaction as the dark found it's mark. "Shizune who's career are you wanting to destroy?"

"Well the Turner boy only just managed to pass his exams," Shizune frowned at his file "and he has a gambling racket on every floor. I caught him racing the geriatrics last Monday!"

"Oh, Turner stays," Tsunade said swiveling towards them "I owe that boy way too much money to let him go."

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune chastised.

Tsunade just raised her eyebrow condescendingly "honestly Shizune, you think that I don't know about a gambling ring in my hospital? Let alone don't participate?" She turned away "frankly I'm slightly ashamed you're surprised by this."

Shizune gave up the fight and sighed. She put Tuner's file on the in pile.

"What about…" Tsunade reached over the pile and snagged a folder at random "Yamanka?"

"Ino's, doing really well," Sakura jumped in then stopped as she seemed to eager.

"Yamanka is fine, did well on tests and no major problems but she has a temper and doesn't spend a lot of time with patients. It shows in her bedside manner," Shizune said eyeing Sakura curiously.

"I was thinking of recommending her for the advanced program next year," Sakura said. She felt the scrutiny of the other woman and hurried on "she's the best of the bunch thus far."

Shizune seemed to be weighing the matter with a slight frown. Tsunade didn't look away from Sakura. Shizune spoke directly to the Hokage as she said "if her bedside manner improves I might consider her for it. A lot of the advanced program is working closely with selected patients."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed before she nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, since I'm trying to push you two together anyway it seems like a good idea," she said seriously.

Sakura stared at her in shock, Naruto she knew about but Tsunade?!

XxXx

Ino finished cleaning and changing Anki's bandages. She hated to look at his frail little body dwarfed by the white sheets and giant machines all around his bed. She hated even more to look at the blistering little sores that gaped like livid hungry mouths intent on eating the health out of him.

"I'm bored," he crocked softly, his head was turned away from the dully sunlight that crawled through his window.

"Well, I'll see if a nurse or volunteer is will come up," Ino said eyeing the door wanting to escape.

"Will you stay? I'm, I don't like the silence," he turned to look at her with his washed out blue eyes. She quickly looked down at his chart "I'm very busy," she didn't want to care about him, it would hurt too much. Being that close to death was unsettling "but I'll go check for that nurse right now!" She escaped.

She stopped just outside his room as Sakura pushed herself off the wall. She had been listening to everything. Ino straightened her back and prepared to march on. "Get back in that room," Sakura's voice was ice.

"I'm not a councilor, or a priest or anything that can help him," Ino argued.

"You are a human being," Sakura said with barely contained fury. She was nearly shaking "and that little boy, that child, on the bed asked you to give him comfort _and you're too busy?!"_

Ino flinch at the lash in Sakura's words. She couldn't look her in the eye as she replied "I can't, he's going to die and I can't watch it. It's too hard, I can't put myself through it," her gaze hardened but she still couldn't meet Sakura's eyes "you can't make me, you may be my attending but I've done the medicine bit I don't need to sit and comfort him, that's someone else's job and you can't hold that against me!"

"You're right," Sakura said her voice still hard "I can't make you, but I'm planning on recommending you for our advanced program," Ino's eyes shot up in hungry ambition, Sakura's narrowed still angry "but I was told that you won't be considered until you improve your bedside manner. It's your choice."

Ino reeled and looked between Sakura and Anki's door. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists before going quietly back into the room that was filled with soft sobs.

XxXx

"So?" Naruto asked as she ate her noodles.

"So?" She mumbled.

Naruto rolled his eyes in a long suffering way "you and Ino?"

"There is no Ino and I," Sakura repeated in her own long suffering tone.

"Come on! You're gay, she's gay," Naruto joined his hands together and thrust them in front of Sakura's face "you can be gay together!"

Sakura swatted his hands away irately. She took a deep breath and decided that she should explain this rationally on a level Naruto was bound to understand. "Okay, you're straight but that doesn't mean that you would go with any girl just because she happens to be straight, right?"

Naruto looked confused.

She growled "okay, so you and, ah, Tsunade-sama! Yes, you and Tsunade-sama are the last people left alive-"

"Why?"

"-I don't know a plague-"

"-How come we were the only survivors?"

"Because! It's hypothetical! Just shut up!" Sakura growled annoyed and continued doggedly on "anyway, you and Tsunade are the only ones left alive, would you have sex with her just because she's the only woman left?" She fully expected the answer to be 'no'.

Naruto didn't even think about it before answering. In fact his quick answer and look on his face clearly expressed how he thought the question was stupid. "Of course I would."

She stared at him in shock "but she's old! You have nothing in common, you call her granny!"

Naruto shrugged "but I would still sleep with her. What does this have to do with you and Ino getting together?"

Sakura slammed her head on the table defeated.

XxXx

Sakura and Ino age 27

When they went to the rare conference or even rarer holiday in the city, they like to go to an actual gay bar. Where being gay was a fact, an entire lifestyle and considered serious business when trying to get laid. The fact that they went together was unfortunate but the idea of not going or going to separate bars (because a real city had more than one gay bar) didn't even occur to them.

Sakura was dancing up a storm on one side of the floor while Ino reined over the other. The rainbow colour strobe lights cut into the otherwise dark club that throbbed with the pumping beat. Dressed to impress, or fuck as the real reason was, Sakura shimmied, grinded and thrust against anything with two pretty X chromosomes.

"Why are you wearing matching underwear?" Ino had asked her snarkily as they had dressed to go out.

"Why is that your business?" Sakura snapped back, adjusting her brand new matching black lacy underwear. Ino of course would know they were new.

"Like anyone would have you," Ino muttered fully dressed but taking her panties off to make Sakura angry.

She watched as Ino allowed a short red head to run her hands all over her jean skirt. Remembering that she had no underwear on Sakura clenched her teeth. She yanked the taller sandy haired blonde closer to her so that she was practically grinding herself on a long fit thigh. Not the same fitness or strength as she or Ino, it was artificial muscle, sculpted in a gym to look good instead of a battlefield to survive. She turned and placed the blondes hands on her breasts, smirking with satisfaction as Ino's eyes narrowed.

She was thrown down on the hotel bed with enough force she bounced a little. The blonde was on her, using her longer frame to drape herself all over Sakura. She moaned as lips tortured her neck with hot sucking and soothing wet strokes. Her hands urgently fought their way under a jean skirt and velvet soft inner thighs. Jerking back the blonde groaned as she was cupped. She ripped Sakura's blouse opened and seeing the black bra muttered resentfully "little slut."

"I'm not the one that didn't wear panties!" Sakura breathed heatedly between gritted teeth as she resisted the urge to yank harshly on trimmed blonde curls. She bit the ear lobe instead then cried out as hands cupped her breasts roughly "Ino!"

Ino pushed Sakura down on the bed again and her naked in a blink. The brand new panties were ripped off with latent hostility. "Wait!" Sakura cried as Ino adjusted her position on the bed. Ino froze and looked down in annoyance. "I'm too swollen," Sakura informed her pushed some of Ino's obnoxiously long hair out of her face "you'll have to be gentle."

"Such a slut," Ino rolled her eyes in annoyance but moved more slowly with her fingers. Sakura bit her curled first finger and her head moved from side to side softly. Her chest was tense with strained breathing and her knees itched to close as she squeezed her eyes shut. Ino stopped as Sakura nearly bloodies her finger biting so hard. "Idiot," she grumbled taking her hand away and using it to pry the finger from the pink haired woman's mouth. She moved between her spread thighs as Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She really was too swollen for fingers.

Ino moved down until she was in position. She spread her hair out like a fan because as much as Sakura complained about her hair she always came harder at the sight of it spread across her thighs, her hands tangled in the golden tresses. She softly licked swollen folds, gently, gently, no teeth this time.

Sakura groaned as full lips mouthed her and shook violently when it was over. She pulled Ino up until the blonde was resting on top of her. She buried her face in her neck still shaking. Despite their infrequent trips to gay bars, they never seized the chance to go home with anyone else. It was often brought up and used in fights but never seriously considered.

XxXx

"I told you not to bring that third suitcase!" Sakura grouched as Ino struggled to carry three suitcases plus a carryon bag. The smaller bag was filled with biscuits and odd sweets that could only be got in the city. Ino loved them and if Sakura would let her would have filled up all three suitcases with the stuff.

"If you don't help me, we'll miss the coach," Ino glared nearly dropped the largest case on her toe.

"No," Sakura said walking forward with her own modest suitcase "you'll miss the coach, I'll be fine."

"You bitch!" Ino yelled after her as she walked away.

The coach was filled with important rich people that all had their own tables. Sakura sat at her own table looking over the conference notes. Outside, the station hands where looking anxiously about. All the bags were packed and stowed away. The conductor was fidgeting with nerves ready to be off, even the long line of horses stamped impatiently.

"Ah, Ms Haruna?" The tall skinny attendant nearly bent double to talk to her. "We're on a tight schedule, we have to be in the fire kingdom by nightfall and if we leave it much longer…" he trailed off as she met his eyes.

"Is my travelling companion here yet?" Sakura asked patiently.

"Er, n-no," the attendant stuttered looking helplessly at the other glaring passengers.

"Then no, you may not leave," Sakura returned to her notes. "If you try to, I'll get out and beat you to death with this carriage and that goes for the rest of you glaring at me," there was a quick shuffle and the annoyed but terrified passengers found other things to look at. Her reputation was well known.

Ino had no sooner flopped down in the seat opposite Sakura than the coach began to drive. Panting heavily and still managing to gloat Ino screeched "Ha! In your face I just made it!"

Sakura inclined her head graciously "damn, I was looking forward to having a night's sleep without your snoring."

"Shove it," Ino replied still smirking smugly.

XxXx

Ino and Sakura age 20-1

"How come they aren't together yet?" Naruto whined.

"I don't know, they spend practically every day together," Tsunade grumbled.

"Maybe they just don't like each other," Naruto said but didn't really believe it. They were both gay! What more could they want!?

"No, that's not it, we need a new plan," Tsunade thought hard "a new ingredient needs to be added to the mix…"

"But what?"

Tsunade opened her mouth but shut it as no idea flowed. The both stared grimly at each other. "What about making one of them jealous?" Naruto sat up sharply as excitement grabbed him at the idea.

"But who? There's no other gays in the village," Tsunade pointed out.

"We could get one of the other girls to pretend!" Naruto said cheerfully before deflating "no that wouldn't work, they would be too grossed out to do anything that would make the other jealous."

Tsunade was ready to give into despair until her blue eyes became hard flits as resolution took hold. She could do it. She could take one for the team. "I have someone in mind…"

XxXx

"So why are we organizing the medical closet?" Sakura asked eyes Tsunade suspiciously.

"Well, this way we get to spend some time together," Tsunade grinned "we've been so busy lately I wanted to check in with my young protégé."

Sakura smiled pleased that her mentor wanted to spend time with her. To cover her pleasure and not seem clingy she groused "if you didn't give me so much work maybe I would be able to spend more time outside the hospital."

"Nonsense," Tsunade waved the grumbling away "if I gave you less work I would have to give Shizune more, and I would get into a hell of a lot more trouble." Sakura rolled her eyes as Tsunade peeked out the half opened closet door "so this is the ward that Yamanka is working on right?" She had told Shizune to send Yamanka to the closet and Shizune seeing nothing obviously dangerous and stupid had agreed. She had decided long ago that if it didn't look life threatening she wouldn't try and stop Tsunade and her insane schemes. It was just easier that way.

"Oh god," Sakura muttered fearing another 'why aren't you with her' conversation. "Yes, it is."

"Good, good," Tsunade said absently waiting. They worked in idle chatter until Tsunade saw the blonde coming down the hall. She turned and pounced on Sakura. Sakura was shocked and flailed about knocking supplies off the shelf. Good, Tsunade thought, the noise should help attract Yamanka. "Oh Sakura!" she fake moaned to further entice the blonde.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura yelled trying to detach herself from the determine older woman "stop! Tsunade-sama! What the hell are oamf-!"

Kissing a woman was much more difficult than kissing a man, you had to kiss them and try and stop them getting away at the same time. Sakura's fist slammed into the side of her head but she barely noticed it as she pulled the smaller woman against her. Lumps in all the wrong places she grumbled.

"Oh shit!" the sound of a new voice made her look around.

Yamanka was frozen in the doorway with a stunned vaguely sickened expression on her face. "Ino!" Sakura cried trying to scramble out of Tsunade's hold "Ino! Get help! She's possessed!"

To incite the jealous flames in the blondes heart Tsunade wrestled Sakura into another kiss and contemplated groping her. She decided in for a penny in for a pound and squeezed Sakura's small breast like she was honking a horn.

"TSUNADE!"

The roar made her jerk away as she looked around to see Shizune standing thunderously in the doorway, Yamanka behind her. Oh shit…

"Welcome to Konoha's second annual sexual harassment course…" Tsunade grumbled in her seat surrounded by other sexual offenders. Honestly she was doing Sakura a favor and this was how she was repaid.

XxXx

Sakura traced the outline of her lips and shuddered. Getting attacked by her mentor and mother figure was bad enough but for that to be her first girl/girl kiss made her want to cry. Cry and be violently sick. Worse still was that after the shock had worn off Ino couldn't see her without bursting into laughter.

"Guess I never stood a chance with your preference to older ladies," she would smirk.

"Sakura, my grandmother is coming into town but don't get any ideas!"

"Read the expiration date Sakura, best before menopause."

She only felt better after abusing her power to get Ino stuck doing all the dirty jobs. She traced her lips again. Slightly sickening was the realisation of how lonely Sakura was. She had concentrated on doing her duty to the village and hospital but she also wanted something for herself. She saw other couples and wanted that for herself. Actually she didn't want the relationship, she just wanted sex.

She held up her right hand and shook her head sadly. In the past she had made do with magazines, videos and her imagination but now she wanted more.

"They found a peeping Tom in the old folks centre, where were you last Tuesday?" Ino smirked as she passed by with her mop and bucket.

Sakura clenched her hand into a fist. She was not that desperate. Yet.

XxXx

"Ino, I heard you like girls like I do," Sakura dodged behind the door of Anki's room as she heard him ask that question.

"Yes that's right," Ino answered.

"What about boys? Boys with blue eyes, a great personality and only a few weeks to live? Would you go out with him?" Anki asked hopefully.

Ino laughed softly and patted his cheek "you're a little con artist," she grinned and Sakura moved to get a better look into the room. They were playing snakes and ladders. "Don't think you can distract me, I saw you change the dice, down the snake!"

"Aw man!" the child grumbled and his pasty grey hand moved the piece downwards. They played a little longer before Anki eventually said "Sakura is like you, she likes girls and is a lot of fun, that makes up for her having no boobs."

Ino snorted and Sakura felt her chest in irritation. Some people preferred small breasts! "Not you too!" Ino sighed as she rolled the dice "it's bad enough I get this from Choji and my mum!"

"Come on!" Anki pleaded "she's good looking and practically your only choice! My dad said you guy would be cute together and if you kiss in front of me I won't mind. I really won't, in fact I think it would make me feel better!"

"Little perv," Ino muttered "Sakura and I are too different. She's an arrogant ass that's drunk on power and I'm perfect. And she has no boobs."

Sakura bristled at the second stab to her ego. More than a handful was a waste, she thought hotly. Anki grinned then reeled suddenly; Ino pushed the board game hurriedly away and checked his vitals. His already gray skin paled even further but he waved her away. "I'm alright, but I think I need some sleep," he lay back weakly "I know where I was so you can't cheat."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ino said solemnly watching him as he closed his eyes.

XxXx

"Yamanka Ino," Tsunade said gravely sitting behind her desk with Sakura and Shizune on either side of her. Along with the many diplomas and certificates on the wall a newly achieved understanding of sexual harassment ribbon was added. It was that ribbon that Ino gazed at as she tried not to shake. "It has been discussed and put to vote, in light of all the work you've done at the hospital a place in the advanced medical trials has been granted to you."

Ino nearly fainted with relief. Her smiled was wide and she bowed quickly "thank you!"

Shizune smiled and even Tsunade let her lips quirk happily. "You're first assignment will be with Sakura. She will be escorting and mentoring you on a mission to serve as a field trauma medical nin."

She was used to fighting in a squad of three. She was used to actually fighting but nipping between battling ninja's and armies only fighting when directly engaged, it made her feel like a coward. That was until she knelt next to a wounded body and saved their life. Then she felt like a hero.

They were sent to a boarder skirmish that turned from a skirmish into a full battle. It was supposed to be light training but Ino was going to be baptised by fire. Sakura kept a look out as she worked ready to defend Ino if needed. Ino jerked around as she heard Sakura yell. Her hands where covered in blood as she tried to stop a woman's guts from spilling out. She desperately prayed for the skin to knit faster as the green Chakra glow flared brighter.

Sakura lodged a dagger into a stunned bandits windpipe but his friend had gotten a good stab at her kidneys. She was bleeding sluggishly and hunched over the wound still trying to keep aware of her surroundings. She crumpled to her knees as an unnatural cold gripped her body. Oh no, she realised too late, she had been poisoned.

"Sakura!" Ino laid her down on the trampled grass as ninja's blurred past them both. "What's wrong?!"

"Poison," Sakura spoke between panted breaths. She gripped the collar of Ino's shirt "you need to calm down! It's going to make its way to my vital organs, you need to create a sponge, you remember from Shizune's lessons?"

Ino nodded frantically. "Good, you need to-to, isolate the poison, keep it from reaching vital organs and t-the-" blackness swallowed Sakura before she could finish.

XxXx

"She's waking up!"

Sakura gave a pathetic moan at the loud voice but far from giving her the much desired silence more voices joined in. Feeling like shit and a bit annoyed Sakura decided to live. She opened her eyes and regretted her decision. The dark was much more inviting.

"Sakura? Are you okay?"

"Piss off Ino" was what she had meant to say but "psnion" came out instead. She pulled herself upright and was only in mild agony. Pleasant surprise. She opened her eyes fully now intent on embarking on the plan to live no matter how stupid it seemed. "What happened?"

That must have came out much more normal as Tsunade answered her "you were poisoned in the field. Yamanka did the best she could but instead of extracting the poison she contained it," Tsunade's voice held some disapproval at Ino's lack of courage to try the tricky procedure of extraction but Sakura was quite glad since it was stunningly easy to kill someone if not done perfectly. "She brought you back here, I fixed you."

"Oh, well, if that's all," Sakura couldn't help feeling slightly annoyed that her near death experience was brushed off. Tsunade almost sounded bored in fact. She was gratified to see that Ino wasn't treating it in such a blasé manner. She was deathly pale and looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"I-I sorry," Ino burst out suddenly "I don't think I can do the advanced placement. I froze in the field. I could only do what Sakura told me too but after that I was frozen. I couldn't think for myself. I ran away, I left the rest of the ninja's there without help. I stole a horse! I carried her on my back for a day and then stole some poor mans horse, to get here faster!"

"Aw, you're a whuss," Tsunade cut Ino's babbling off unsympathetically "you'll get used to field work. You weren't the only medical team out there. You did what you thought best and got her here so I could save her, again," she directed a pointed look at Sakura and held up seven fingers. Sakura held up six and she shrugged. "As for the horse, yeah, you're going to have to return that."

"B-But…" Ino tried to protest but Tsunade wasn't interested.

"It was no big deal, it would have taken her a long time to die. She was barely in the throes of nervous system failure when you brought her in. Her heart and repertory systems where still going, you're being a baby," Tsunade said.

"Hey!" Sakura interrupted indignantly "almost died here!"

"Frankly I'm annoyed you didn't do the operation on yourself, your poison tolerance should be higher than this," Tsunade shook her held in disappointment.

Sakura looked at her truly baffled. Sometimes it scared her to think that this woman was Hokage.

XxXx

"Ino can I leave," Sakura moaned throwing her head back on the pillow in boredom. It wasn't really a question since she knew the answer would be negative.

"No," see? Mind reader "your nervous system is getting back to normal after its shut down." Ino fussed around her guiltily. It was driving Sakura nuts. Ino as a pain in the ass she could take, Ino blackmailed by her own guilt into being nice when she obviously didn't want to be, well that was annoying.

"Don't you have other work to do? What about Anki?" Sakura asked desperately.

"No, Tsunade entrusted your sole care to me since she's trying to set us up and I sit with Anki at nights now since he lost his sight." Ino said business like. "You're stuck with me."

"Joy," Sakura said irately.

XxXx

"If you get out of that bed I'm going to punch you!" Ino glared at her.

She glared back just as fiercely "I stink. I am full of sweat and dead skin, I am having a bath before I end up glued to the bed by my own secretions!"

"You are not leaving this room!" Ino tried to push her back down but her strength was returning and she managed to resist her for a moment. She then succumbed to her weakened state and fell back onto the bed.

"I'll just go when you leave," Sakura said defiantly crossing her arms. Her nightdress stuck to her uncomfortably.

Ino glared but shifted from side to side as she contemplated something. Eventually she sighed and Sakura had thought she had won. "Stay here," she ordered and marched out of the room. She came back with a basin of steaming water and Sakura realised with horror what she intended to do.

"Oh, hell no!" She snapped surging out of the bed.

Her surge was more like a desperate lunge that left her tangled in the sheets and in danger off falling. Ino quickly grabbed her and righted her. "You'll get to have your bath," Ino said.

"I am not giving you the satisfaction," her pride roared at the attack and she wished painful harm on the blonde.

"Sakura, you stink, this is the only way you're going to get clean," Ino tried to be doctor like and professional but the smirk was clearly there.

"Fuck it!" Sakura snarled.

"Not going to happen," Ino snorted. She was wetting the sponge and Sakura tensed ready to shove it down her throat if she even dared. "At the moment I'm much stronger than you, this is going to happen, the only choice you have is with or without the restraints."

"Figures the only way you could get a woman is with restraints," Sakura felt a petty satisfaction in her insult. Ino just rolled her eyes and held out the sponge. Startled and disappointed then disgusted at the disappointment Sakura snatched from her. "Damn right I can do it myself!"

She fumbled with her nightdress while Ino kept her eyes on her face. She burned as the task became an obvious effort. She was tired already from her previous escape attempts. Her nerves where tingling in a bad way. She eventually got it over her head annoyed that her breathing was laboured. Ino turned her back but didn't move so she was standing less than a foot from the bed.

Sakura began to wash her front, she sighed as the hot water swept over her breasts and torso. It felt so good to clean off the grime. She rested the sponge on the back of her tense neck until it got cool. "Dip it," she ordered then remembered "please."

Ino held a hand out for the sponge and modestly didn't turn. She dipped it in the still hot basin and passed it back and Sakura was sure she didn't peak. She had actually been in the hot spring with most of the girls her age. Ino had probably seen her naked before but never so vulnerable and it was that that Sakura hated.

She rubbed the sponge over her belly grimacing at the new scar. She could heal the scar after she was fully recovered but for now it was an ugly slur on her skin. She thought back to the hot spring and realised she must have seen Ino naked also. But she didn't really remember anything, she was much too concerned with not looking as she didn't want to be accused of being a purvey lesbian. Which she was only suspecting she was.

Her breathing was short and her arms felt like led by the time the sponge went cold again. When she passed it back to Ino the other woman took it and refreshed the hot water. Instead of returning the sponge Sakura was roughly shoved forward so that her back was bare.

"Hey!"

"Swallow your pride for a second, you can't reach your back," Ino said roughly although her movements with the sponge where gentle. "Besides you're nearly passing out with the effort anyway."

"Am not," Sakura muttered but didn't protest anymore. She gradually relaxed at the long hot sweeping strokes. "Ino?" She asked a little later.

"What?"

"Have you ever been with another woman?" She asked slight jealousy dragging at her. Not at someone else being with Ino but that maybe Ino got to be with another woman while she hadn't.

"Where would I get the chance?" Ino snorted "the only game in the village is you."

"The city," Sakura said as Ino lifted away the sponge. She felt so wonderful that she forgot herself and stretched.

"Ahh…no," Ino replied distracted "no time or money as an intern."

Good, Sakura thought, she didn't want Ino to have one up on her. She sat back into the pillow and looked up to see Ino staring down with an infinite hunger. At her. She blinked shocked. Ino jerked back into herself and her eyes flicked up to meet Sakura in a panic, hoping she hadn't seen her ogling.

They stared at each other and both seemed to realise some things for the first time. Ino was gay. Sakura was gay. The other woman was actually quite attractive with her womanly parts.

"I'll get you that nightdress!" Ino jerked away with a flushed face.

"I'll clear this stuff away!" Sakura gathered the sponge and dirty nightdress erratically.

It would have been hard to say who was more disgusted at the idea.

XxXx

Sakura Ino age 27

The street would be full of whispers anytime they went out together. They didn't hold hands or do anything particularly romantic since they couldn't actually stand each other but there were whispers all the same.

Old people and kids would shoot them indulgent smiles. Laugh behind their hands at the odd idea of two girls together but in good natured resignation. A queer sight, something they didn't fully understand but enjoyed the novelty of it. Gay's in Konoha, oh how the times have changed.

"Oh, my god," Ino growled angrily into an unfurled pamphlet "we're on the tourist map!" Not that a ninja village got much tourists "Konoha so modern and hip we even have gays now!" Ino read before ripping the map up, she was nearly red with fury.

XxXx

"It's your birthday," Sakura said one morning over cornflakes.

"Tomorrow," Ino confirmed needlessly. She had circled the calendar, left notes with Sakura's secretary, folded down pages in magazines, as well as pointing out things in windows that she would like. Sakura had an abundance of gift ideas.

"I got you something to wear," Sakura said not even bothering to look up "but did you want something else?"

"Of course," Ino said grabbing her own bowl. She would take as many gifts as she could squeeze out of Sakura.

"I meant something a little more specific…" Sakura repressed her smirk as she threw some magazines on the table. She looked up to watch as Ino's face went white in horrified shame. Porn.

"W-where? How?" Ino stuttered mortified.

"Found them when we had dinner at your mums last week," Sakura said sitting back in the kitchen chair. She picked up the bowl of cereal and held it under her chin as she continued to eat. "Ended up in your room hoping to find one of your old dairies so I could embarrass the life out of you. Found something better."

Anger flared up Ino's pale skin in roaring red blotches and she swept the magazines out of view. She turned and was ready to storm out when Sakura's soft murmur froze her in place.

"I'll do it."

Ino turned slowly back a weary look in her eye. Sakura couldn't be serious…?

Sakura's smugness had fled and she was almost stern in her seriousness. "If it's something that you want, I'll do it."

Ino was still looking at her wearily so Sakura got up and placed her bowl in the sink before grabbing her hand. "Get your coat," she said "I've given us the day off."

"Where are we going?" Ino accepted her coat as Sakura led her outside.

"To get you your gift," Sakura looked back at her with dark eyes that sent shivers down Ino's spine.

XxXx

Ino and Sakura age 22

Sakura's fist thundered down on the little chest and the body jerked. No effect. She did it again. No effect. She grabbed the paddles form the nurse charged. Shocked. No effect. Lungs failed. Shocked. No effect. Nine minutes. She wiped the sweat from her eyes and stepped back. She pulled down her mask and looked at the nurse and four of the on call interns.

"No…"

"Time of death-"

"NO!"

"01.24," Sakura pronounced gravely.

The doors of the operating room burst open and Ino ran like an escaping animal. Sakura took off her gloves with two sharp jerking gestures and closed Anki's gaping washed out eyes. She couldn't bear to cover his little body with the surgical cloth and left the room.

She kicked the wall in a futile burst of anger but the deep sadness settled heavily on her smothering the comfort of rage. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked around lost. But despite the sadness resolve was forming. She would go on, she would check her other patients and she would hope desperately for it not to happen to them. A vain hope. She had years to get used to this, it was just harder than others sometimes.

She checked on her other patients, filled in their charts and packed up to go home. In the dark of the locker room she found Ino curled up in the corner still crying.

"You made me care about him," she accused bitterly. "You knew what was going to happen and you made me care!"

Sakura didn't say anything. There was nothing she could say.

"I hate this, I hate you!" she broke down in another convulsive sob. "It would have been better if I had just stayed away, I wouldn't be feeling-" Sakura wormed her way in behind the blonde and just held her in the dark.

XxXx

Valentines Day. There wasn't a more depressing way to shove her virginity in her face. Sakura glared balefully at the couples clogging the streets with their hand holding and affections. All over the market lovers of all ages put on displays varying in their degrees of risk. The one couple by the flower stand should be arrested for showing that much flesh but it was only the glowering Sakura that seemed to be annoyed by them.

She stomped angrily passed the chocolate stand and quelled the urge to squash every single heart shaped chocolate. The husband and wife selling the treats were more interested in feeding them to each other than making a profit. They probably would even notice if Sakura stole them and used them as ammunition to throw at couples she hated.

She got into the hospital and was even more annoyed to find her interns exchanging valentines and blushes. She stormed into the locker room and changed stomping and banging to loudly profess her displeasure at the holiday.

"Come on, you must like it on some level," Ino appeared behind her. She had been on the night shift and was getting ready to change into her normal clothes. "Pink is after all, your colour."

Sakura just growled as she dressed. Ino seemed to be intent on enjoying the day. She walked with a bounce and reeked of sunshine and happiness next to Sakura's own dark cloud. A part of her was glad, she hadn't seen Ino this happy since Anki's funeral. But most of her just wanted to smack the blonde silly.

"You're probably annoyed you didn't get any Valentines," Ino chirped on heedless of the storm behind her. "I'm going to go home, get some sleep and then go to the dance. It's been so long since I've had the chance to dance!"

"Why bother? It's going to be full of couples shoving their love in your face," Sakura grumbled retying her shoes.

"Is that what's getting you?" Ino turned with a wicked grin "Horny and alone on V-day?"

Sakura glared but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her. "Not like you're better off!" She blustered.

"Unlike you it doesn't bother me," Ino smiled deviously "besides I'm heading to the city for that stupid medical class your making us go too, I have plans. Big plans," Ino grinned and Sakura knew exactly what those plans would entail.

She slammed her locker and stormed out. She was only on the ward five minutes when Tsunade's booming laughter caught her attention. She wondered over to the Hokage that was bent double in a very undignified fashion gasping for breath. Her face was red and tear streaked and she was holding onto the curtain to exam room three for dear life.

"Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked concerned.

"Oh Sakura good!" Tsunade managed to wheeze between fits of laughter "just going to get you, need help, very delic-hahahaha!" Tsunade lost it and fell to the floor clutching her stomach.

"Shut up granny! It isn't funny!" Yelled a voice behind the curtain.

"Naruto?"

"Ah! Sakura! Get Away! Don't come in!"

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked in concern and Tsunade released another wail of laughter. She eventually managed to get herself under control to an extent. She just stood shaking with laughter her eyes glinting manically. She pulled aside the curtain and assured Sakura inside.

"Oh, Ew, Oh," Sakura bounced between horror and hilarity. Naruto's face was steaming red as he yelled obscenely at her. Although she would swear Hinatta's face was a brighter shade. "I guess you where celebrating valentines a little vigorously," she managed at last and Tsunade lost it again and stumbled back out the curtain. "So, you're Naruto's secret girlfriend," she then had to cover her mouth to smother her laughter.

It was obvious from the full body bushes that both Naruto and Hinatta just wanted to curl up and die. Naruto jerked as he yelled at her but stopped once Hinatta winced. "I take it you're both joined at the-" and she had to break off as the naked coupled both glared at her. She didn't know whether to laugh at Naruto's predicament or throw up at seeing so much of the man she viewed as her brother.

"You always manage to cheer me up Naruto," she said happily.

XxXx

It was after the Valintines dance that they first woke up together. Sakura took one look at Ino lying naked in her bed and remembered everything. The clumsy fumbling, smacking her head against the foot board as Ino shoved her down, kissing until her lips where raw and gasping at the first touch of fingers on her breast. She looked down to see her jeans unbuttoned, wrinkled but firmly in place. Her bra and top was missing and she had a few new marks but Ino was still in her purple dress albeit much more rumpled than before.

They hadn't had sex.

The realization was both a relief and a disappointment. She settled down in her pillows and Ino snorted and flopped onto her stomach smacking Sakura in the process. She looked at the sleeping girl and rolled her eyes as the blonde's gaping mouth drooling all over her bedsheet.

She remembered laughing at Naruto, walking home among all the merriment until she passed the gaint bonefire where all the couples where dancing. She remembered running into Ino and complimenting her dress. She vaguely remembered getting pushed onto the 'dance floor' and being swept up until Ino came to her rescue. She remembered instead of moving away from the dancing she had pulled Ino closer until they where both dancing. Her eyes widened and she grinned as she clearly remembered Ino being the one to start the kissing.

Ha!

She felt like shaking the other girl awake to gloat but decided against it feeling unnaturally charitable. She got up and made toast. A little while later she heard a shriek as she was reading the paper. Ino must have woken up she thought cheerfully. After various curses and bangs Ino stumbled into the kitchen. Seeing Sakura calmly eating she straightened up awkwardly and smoothed down her dress.

"Hello lover," Sakura said huskily before bursting out laughing at Ino's stricken face. "Relax, you still have you purity. We didn't do much more than kissing, well that's a lie, you did a hell of a lot more than kissing. You owe me a new bra by the way, tiger ripped my other one," she made a growling noise around her grin.

"Oh thank god," Ino slumped against the door frame and Sakura straightened in irration "what's that supposed to mean?" She said genuinely offended.

"Did you want to have sex with me Sakura?" Ino asked drolly gaining back her old confidence.

Yes "no," she snapped the paper outwards in irritation.

"Well then, no need to be offended," Ino bent to put on her shoes. "We'll just act like nothings happened and go back to normal."

"Fine," Sakura said shortly "the doors that way," she jerked her chin the direction of the door without looking at Ino.

"Not even an offer of breakfast? I definitely won't be back," Ino said snidely not realizing how much her words stung.

Despite their resolve to pretend nothing had happened the village didn't seem to want to cooperate. Too many noisy people saw Ino leaving Sakura's apartment in the same clothes she was wearing the night before and the rumors spread like wildfire. The town buzzed like a kicked over bee hive as old ladies set new records for speed in their haste to spread the gossip and get information for themselves. It eventually came to the widely accepted truth being that now Sakura and Ino where together and looking for sperm donors. After all that's what those les-bi-annes did. They had seen it on the tv.

"I can't wait for this trip to the city!" Ino slammed the door of the changing room as Sakura finished putting on her white coat. "If I get one more person congratulating me or asking if your tongue stud really is hygienic, I'm going to kill them!"

"Tongue stud?" Sakura asked confused.

"Yes! Apparently you have a tongue stud that vibrates!" Ino flung her hands outs angrily still pissed.

"Neat," she liked the fact that she was considered the one cool enough to have a tongue stud. Ino glared balefully at her. She shrugged "it'll blow over eventually. It damn near broke Tsunade and Naruto's hearts when they found out that the rumors weren't true." They wanted her to be with someone so badly it was like their personal happiness depended on it.

"Gah!" Ino kicked the bin sending rubbish everywhere. "I'm going to go to the city, find a woman and have real sex with them!"

"You better clean that," Sakura frowned "have fun in the city and try not to catch anything contagious of the hooker you'll no doubt have to hire." She didn't wait for Ino's reply as she swept out primly.

The weekend Ino went to the city was totally unremarkable. Sakura didn't even notice, she was far too absorbed in her duties.

"Stop looking at the clock!" Tsunade eventually snapped. "Go home your shift ended three hours ago!"

"I'm fine! I have paper work to catch up on!" Sakura glared balefully at Tsunade who didn't back down. The staring contest cracked the air between them until Tsunade slowly reached down and pushed a thick stack of paperwork towards Sakura with barely restrained violence "then why don't you do mine while you here?"

Sakura pulled the paper towards her with the same suppressed violence as the staring contest continued intensly "I will."

"Good," Tsunade rose slowely and backed away before turning with a dismissive flixk of her pig tails.

"A grown woman still wearing pig tails," Sakura muttered in disgust.

"What was that?" Tsuande snapped but Sakura didn't reply. She just kept muttering under her breath.

"I'm going to killer her," Tsunade glared "I'm going to reach into her little flat chest and rip out her heart." Sakura was annoying everyone in the hospital with her constant interference and she had had enough.

"You may not have too," Shizune muttered tilting her head towards Ino who was stalking up the corridor looking like a bear with a sore tooth.

She stopped directly in front of Sakura and hissed furiously; "They formed a wall! Those assholes formed a wall around my room and refused to let me go out and 'cheat on Haruno-sama'!" Ino's fury could curl the paint two rooms over.

"What?" Sakura said working herself up into a comfortable rage. "What the hell does that have to do with me?!"

"You seem to be my only damn choice at the minute," Ino growled "so do you want to?"

"What?" Her confusion made her no less angry.

"Do you want to have sex? Be fuck buddies? Girlfriends! Whatever?" Ino glared at her balling her fists with irritation.

"Fine!" Sakura snapped storming away.

"Fine!" Ino yelled after her before storming away herself.

"Look Shizune, my plan worked, they've fallen for each other!" Tsunade said happily no trace of her former murderous thoughts present.

"I don't think-" Shizune started to say but Tsuande was already skipping off full of satisfaction.

XxXx

Sakura Ino age 27

It was Ino's strap on fetish that ruined everything. Sakura didn't mind acting out the other girl's fantasy, she was surprised to learn that Ino had wanted her to wear the device but even that didn't bother her. It was after when she was lying on Ino's sweat soaked chest both of them limp with satisfaction and desperately trying to get their breath back when Ino tenderly brushed her fringe out of her face. She kissed her tenderly and settled the smaller girl under her chin.

"Is there something you want?" She had asked.

Sakura stiffened and tried to hide her face. "No," she lied.

Ino knew she was lying, she tilted her head up with a grin "what?" She asked playfully. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Sakura mumbled trying to jerk her chin out of Ino's reach.

"Come on," Ino said even more curious now "is it bad? It must be if you won't tell me."

Sakura didn't say anything, she just rolled off the blonde and kicked off the harness. "I better wash this," she tried to make her escape but Ino caught her and dragged her back to bed. "Come on Sakura, after that I wouldn't judge you. In fact I promise I'll do it," Ino let her lips ghost over the shell of Sakura's ear making her shiver. "I'll do whatever you want."

Sakura gasped as Ino licked her ear. She was simply blinded by lust, seduced and tricked into admitting "I want you to tie me up a-and d-domina-" she broke off into a cough to embarrassed to continue "forget it, it's stupid I change my mind."

But Ino just smiled into her ear and whispered throatily "I'd love to be your mistress Sakura."

The next night was spread eagle and tied to the four bed post with a gag in her mouth. Ino loomed over her with an infuriatingly smug and sexy smirk. It was then as Ino scratched at her hips and ass while threatening to do nasty horrible things that made her slick with desire that Sakura realized something. They hadn't decided on a safe word. There was no way for her to stop Ino if the blonde went too far. Already she had been spanked, stretched and humiliated near the boundaries of comfort. Ino was looking down at her with the unfriendly gleam in her eyes that Sakura had seen on some of the criminals that had kidnapped her before. She was drunk on power.

And instead of being afraid, instead of trying to make her stop, she spread her legs wider and moaned around the gag because-because-oh god-she _trusted_ Ino. She didn't think for even a second that Ino would hurt her. She squeezed her eyes shut as Ino roughly, brilliantly, thrust three fingers inside her while biting her earlobe. She _loved_ Ino.

She came hard and broke the ropes with the strength of her thrashing. She ripped out the gag and lay panting widely like a frightened animal. Ino was looking at her smugly trying to calm her with soothing strokes. But that was making it worse. The gentle touch kept reminding Sakura of her realization until she couldn't take it anymore and she threw Ino to the side and scrambled out of the bed. "I-I have to go!"

"This is your apartment!" Ino called out to her confused.

She avoided Ino until she was sure that she could keep control of herself. But now that she realized this new fact it seemed to thrust itself into her face at every opportunity. Her heart would jump excitedly when Ino walked into a room. Her skin would tingle all over when Ino touched her or brushed against her during the day. Her hands trembled as she made love to her. She couldn't stand to look the other girl in the eye when they where intimate because she wouldn't be able to hide it. She would find out.

"Stop it!" Ino snapped at her a week later. She shoved her shaking hands away "what is wrong with you? You've been acting weird ever since I tied you up. What's wrong?" Ino's voice became gentle echoing with hurt as she looked away from Sakura "did I go too far? Did I hurt you?"

"No!" Sakura assured immediately.

"Then what?" Ino yelled frustrated.

Sakura gaped stupidly at her before looking away. A hot pricking sensation stabbed at her eyes and she would be damned if she was going to cry in front of Ino. She still had some pride left.

"Sakura please…" the hurt pleading tone in Ino's voice cut her.

She turned her back and survey the life they had built together. If she confessed she would lose Ino. They had been clear from the start that this was only convenience and when a better deal came along they would leave each other in the dust. It had kept things easy. Sakura squared her shoulders and lifted the lamp and turned sharply to throw it at Ino's gaping eyes.

"What the hell?!" Ino yelled as she ducked.

"I'm not an idiot Ino!" Sakura screamed irrationally "I know you've told Tsunade about tying me up! She keeps laughing every time I walk by!"

"That's because you look funny!" Ino retorted hotly.

Sakura was just so comfortable with being angry at Ino that she actually believed her own lie. When Ino denied it and pushed her she fought back with false righteous indignation until they had very angry sex on the floor next to the bed.

They lay panting side by side casting the occasional lazy glare at each other. "My apartment lease is up in two months," Sakura said staring at the ceiling.

"So?" Ino asked also staring at the ceiling.

"So, how about I move in with you and save so money," Sakura snapped "we're always together anyway."

"No."

"Fine," Sakura muttered getting to her feet and huffily sliding under the blankets.

"This place is bigger," Ino said as she got under the covers herself "I'll move in here."

"Fine," Sakura's tone didn't change but she turned and let Ino hold her.

XxXx

Sakura and Ino aged 72.

"Pea soup," Ino grumbled lifting her spoon up and letting the green liquid drop back into the bowl in disgust. "All they ever make is pea soup."

"I like pea soup," Sakura said simply "eat it before the new nurse comes by."

"I should throw it on her, she treats us like children," Ino glared.

"You wanted to go into the retirement home," Sakura pointed out again.

"That's because you're old," Ino sniped back "kept leaving the door unlocked and the cooker on."

"That's because I was hoping you would leave or burn," Sakura said with disappointment.

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction."

"You haven't given me any satisfaction since you got arthritis in your hands."

"How's my favorite old couple?" The blonde nurse chirped happily leaning over the plastic table. They were eating outside in the garden of the retirement home.

"She's one of Naruto's isn't she?" Ino didn't bother to glare at the happy nurse.

"Yes, his oldest, I think," Sakura answered handing the empty bowls to the nurse.

"I figured since I want to smack her silly," Ino continued "only got that around Naruto and you."

"She could have been my secret love child," Sakura said idly writing something down on her napkin.

"Fat chance with the way you wear a strap on," Ino groused.

"Right!" The blushing nurse declared clapping her hands "how about you go join the others in the rec room for some tv time?"

"Hell no, Naruto is forever watching those dumb action animes, 72 and still watches cartoons, you must be so proud of your dad," Ino laughed wickedly at the scandalized nurse.

"Here you go," Sakura said passing the napkin to the stupefied nurse "this is what we really want for lunch; now off you go, if you're longer than 20 minutes you'll be paying for it yourself."

The nurse wondered off with a dazed look and the two women turned to share a smile. "You know what pinkie?" Ino said fondly reaching out to take Sakura's hand "being stuck with you wasn't the worst thing that could off happened to me."

"Well, I suppose I don't hate you too," Sakura allowed returning Ino's slight squeeze of her hand. They both turned and watched the world go by holding hands. Together. Always.


End file.
